The new cultivar is a product of chance discovery by the inventor Ryan Wallace. This new variety, hereinafter referred to as ‘MATCEA01’, was discovered as a naturally occurring single branch mutation of Ceanothus griseus ‘Diamond Heights’, unpatented. The discovery and selection of the new variety was made during July of 2014. The new variety was selected by the inventor at a commercial nursery in Sacramento, Calif.
After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor first organized propagation of ‘MATCEA01’ by vegetative terminal cuttings September of 2014 at the same commercial nursery in Sacramento, Calif. The inventor continued controlled testing and propagation, assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety. At least three generations have been reproduced and have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.